About 43 percent of the money for Republican Scott Perry's congressional campaign has come from political action committees, according to recent data from the Federal Election Commission.

Taking money from the groups, known as PACs, is common practice for candidates, but it's something that retiring U.S. Rep. Todd Platts, R-York County, made a point of not doing.

Perry, whose campaign has received $394,906 in contributions as of Oct. 17, has defended the practice.

"If people support my position and want to support the things that I want to do ... that's their American right," Perry said during an editorial endorsement interview with the York Daily Record/Sunday News.

For Perry, contributions from PACs include: $2,000 from the Friends of John Boehner, the campaign committee for the Republican speaker of the House; $6,000 from the American Bankers Association PAC; $5,000 from the Exxon Mobile Corporation PAC ; and $5,000 from the Koch Industries Inc. PAC.

Perry's Democratic opponent, Harry Perkinson, has also accepted political action committee money, but less: $4,401 from PACs compared to the $181,132 in PAC money that Perry has received, according to FEC data.

"I'm not an incumbent, and I'm running for an open seat in a heavily Republican district, so it's very difficult to get PACs to be interested in supporting the campaign," Perkinson said in the editorial endorsement interview. "I think overall there's probably too much money in our electoral process now."

Independent candidate Wayne Wolff has said he would probably accept money from political action committees if offered some. But he also criticized the system.

Wolff previously served on the executive committee for his employer, Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. He said a lobbyist for the company would meet with members of the committee and ask them to donate to candidates.

Mike Koffenberger (Submitted)

"Although we were supposed to be supporting pro-business candidates, I found the vast majority of requests were for incumbents," Wolff said in the editorial endorsement interview . "...The whole idea was just gaining access."

Libertarian Mike Koffenberger has ruled out accepting PAC money.

"You can be the best-hearted person, but money does corrupt some people," Koffenberger said during the editorial endorsement interview. "I'm not saying it corrupts everybody that accepts special interest money. But I'm just that kind of believer. ...It's too much. It's corruptible."

PAC money

Some of the political action committees that gave to Perry have contributed either entirely or almost entirely to Republicans this election cycle.

Harry Perkinson (Submitted)

The PAC for Koch Industries had contributed $1.34 million to federal candidates this election cycle, based on information released this month, according to OpenSecrets.org, a website that tracks money in politics. And 2 percent of that money went to Democrats, while 98 percent went to Republicans.

Exxon Mobil's political action committee had given $1.19 million to federal candidates -- 7 percent to Democrats, 93 percent to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets.org, based on data released this month.

Exxon Mobil spokesman Alan Jeffers said the corporation's committee "looks at candidates based on a number of criteria, whether they have a pro-business stance, ...if their interests are aligned with the company's."

Scott Perry (File)

Other contributors split their giving more evenly.

The American Medical Association political action committee, for instance, had contributed $871,700 to federal candidates this election cycle -- 42 percent to Democrats and 58 percent to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets.org and based on information released earlier this month.

G. Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College, said organizations often get access in exchange for contributions.

And for politicians in office, contributing to other campaigns can be a way to build clout.

Wayne Wolff (Submitted)

"A lot of politicians collect money even if they're in a safe district so they can give it out to other people so they can buy influence," Madonna said.

Perry said people contribute because they support the things that he believes in.

"Most people are already affiliated with some organization that might have a federal or local political action committee," Perry said in an interview this week.

He added that the committees are a way for people with similar ideas to gather for the greatest impact, and he cited the National Rifle Association and the AARP as examples.

"They want to make sure that their voices are heard," Perry said.

Individuals

Tom Wolf, a Mount Wolf resident and former state revenue secretary, contributed $500 to Perkinson's campaign in March and $2,500 in May.

"I think he's a thoughtful, intelligent person, who could represent us well in Washington," said Wolf, chairman and CEO of the Wolf Organization. "...We're a moderate area, and I think Harry is the moderate candidate in this race."

Edwin Gregory, 75, is an insurance agent from Hampden Township, Cumberland County. He said he's concerned about the nation's debt and "keeping our country strong." He gave $500 to Perry's campaign in April and $500 more in July .

"I think Scott's a straight shooter. He's not a career politician by any stretch of the imagination," Gregory said. "He's got what it takes."

What is a PAC?

It's a political committee organized to raise and spend money to help elect or defeat candidates.

"Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests," reads a guide at OpenSecrets.org, which tracks campaign finance data. "PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special). They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee, and $5,000 annually to any other PAC. PACs may receive up to $5,000 from any one individual, PAC or party committee per calendar year."

The guide says that many politicians also form Leadership PACs to help fund other candidates' campaigns.

What about super PACs?

"These PACs make no contributions to candidates or parties," says the OpenSecrets.org guide. But they do "make independent expenditures in federal races -- running ads or sending mail or communicating in other ways with messages that specifically advocate the election or defeat of a specific candidate."

Who's giving?

Here's a look at some well-known figures and political action committees that have donated to the candidates in the 4th Congressional District race.

The information is from the Federal Election Commission. The occupations for the donors listed below are what was reported to the FEC.

The figures below are the totals that have been donated election-cycle-to-date as of Oct. 17. And they include money donated for both the primary and general election.

To search an interactive database with all contributors, visit ydr.com.

Sestak for Senate, the campaign committee for Democrat Joe Sestak who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2010 -- $75

York County Federation of Democratic Women -- $250

Thomas W. Wolf, CEO, Wolf Organization -- $3,000

Search for contributors

In the database below, you can search for individuals and political action committees that have donated to the campaigns of 4th Congressional District candidates Harry Perkinson, Scott Perry and Mike Koffenberger.

The results for Perkinson, a Democrat, and Perry, a Republican, are as of Sept. 30. The numbers for Koffenberger, the Libertarian candidate, are as of June 30.

Independent candidate Wayne Wolff said he has not met the Federal Election Commission threshold of raising or spending more than $5,000 for his campaign, so he's not required to submit the campaign reports that are the source of this data.

As Federal Election Commission info is updated, this database will be updated, too.

Loans that Perry and Perkinson gave to their campaigns appear in this database.